We all know that a mere five minutes in a steam room can do wonders for the skin – but what is actually going on through all that steam? And with the rise of at-home facial steamers, which are taking thespa experience into our own hands, we decided it was time to investigate.
GLAMOUR calls up the pros to find out if – and how – you should be steaming your face.
According to Dr Mervyn Patterson, cosmetic doctor and medical director of Woodford Medical, steaming your face can be game-changing – especially for those who experience clogged pores and breakouts.
“Lightly steaming the face can soften the skin, along with any debris or oil buildup sitting in the pores, making extraction easier,” he notes.
Ideally, he recommends an in-clinic or in-spa steaming session as it’s safer and more efficacious, but Dr Patterson says that a three-minute at-home steam twice a month should help maximise the benefits of a good skincare regime.
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While it’s tempting to resort to the old trick of filling up a bowl with boiling water and throwing a towel over your head, it’s better to opt for a specifically designed device for safety reasons. “The biggest risk is over heating the skin,” says Dr Patterson. “This can happen when you sit too close to the source of team, or if you steam for too prolonged a period of time. ”
Luckily, there’s a plethora of facial steamers available, like this Panasonic Facial Steamer, which uses nano-ionic technology to delivers extremely fine steam particles to cleanse and hydrate. Plus, you can choose between a 12 minute treatment, or a six minute express steam, also ensuring you don’t expose your skin for too long.
For best results, Dr Patterson’s advises following a steam with a results-driven cleanser, like Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser – a blemish-banishing formula containing Menthol and Willow Bark Extract to gently yet thoroughly purify pores and balance the skin’s pH to prevent further congestion.
Still suffering from spots? Try these tried and tested blemish remedies.
